Casting Down Your Final Idols
The sermon emphasizes the importance of personal surrender and absolute surrender to God in order to experience true rest and glorious victory over self and sin.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the significance of Jabbok, the place where Jacob wrestled with God, as a metaphor for the personal struggles Christians face in surrendering their final idols. At Jabbok, Jacob experienced a life-changing encounter that led to his new identity as Israel, symbolizing the victory that comes from absolute surrender to God. This place represents a critical moment of struggle and the necessity of emptying oneself to gain power over sin. Wilkerson highlights that many believers miss the true rest of God due to secret sins and unbelief, and that true transformation requires a personal encounter at their own Jabbok. Ultimately, surrendering to God may leave one humbled but leads to glorious victory and dependence on the Lord.
Text
Jabbok, the place where Jacob wrestled with God and made his total surrender, exemplifies the place where Christians fight their private wars. There are no counselors, no friends, no helpers -- just you and God. At Jabbok Jacob cast down his last idol and won his greatest victory. And there he received his new character and his new name -- Israel.
"And [Jacob] arose that night ... and crossed over the ford of Jabbok" (Genesis 32:22). Jabbok means "a place of passing over" but it also stands for struggle; to empty and pour out. The glorious truth revealed in this place has everything to do with us today. It is where God's people discover the secret of power over every besetting sin. It represents a life-and-death crisis, one that leads to absolute surrender.
We are familiar with two crossings -- the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Crossing the Red Sea represents a new start, coming out of the world, "getting saved." Crossing the Jordan represents a commitment to go on with the Lord, reading the Word, witnessing, growing in Christ, and receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
But there is more -- a third crossing, a crossing into a place of true rest in God. There can be no glorious victory over self and sin until you go to your personal Jabbok. Multitudes of Spirit-filled, Spirit-led believers have never known the true rest of God because of secret sin or unbelief. God said of Israel, "They could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).
Our Lord wants to change us into new people with pure hearts and clean hands. Our personal Jabbok is the place where the Lord hears our cries of desperation and touches us, just as he touched Jacob. During Jacob's wrestling with the Lord, his thigh was put out of joint and the Lord purposely weakened him, but he came through in glorious victory. The same may be true with you. He may cripple your human efforts and cause you to hobble away, humbled and crippled. But your surrender will bring you into victory, totally dependent on your Deliverer.
Sermon Outline
- The Place of Passing Over
- The Secret of Power Over Sin
- The Third Crossing
- A New Character and New Name
- Total Dependence on God
- Absolute Surrender
Key Quotes
“At Jabbok Jacob cast down his last idol and won his greatest victory.” — David Wilkerson
“Our personal Jabbok is the place where the Lord hears our cries of desperation and touches us, just as he touched Jacob.” — David Wilkerson
“He may cripple your human efforts and cause you to hobble away, humbled and crippled. But your surrender will bring you into victory, totally dependent on your Deliverer.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- To experience true rest in God, one must be willing to go to their personal Jabbok and surrender to God.
- Absolute surrender to God is necessary for glorious victory over self and sin.
- Secret sin and unbelief can prevent Spirit-filled believers from experiencing true rest in God.